Radomes are used to protect an antenna. This protection may be from the weather, such as ice, snow, sand, wind, or rain, or it may be from observers attempting to deduce the orientation of the covered antenna. Radomes may be distinguished from other structures in that the material used in building the radome generally allows for a relatively unattenuated electromagnetic signal between the antenna inside the radome and outside equipment. However, this typically thin-walled approach is in direct contrast to the heavy-thickness armoring techniques employed to achieve protection against projectile strikes and other airborne foreign bodies.
Prior attempts to address this problem take up large amounts of surface area, add excessive weight, and the space between the interior of the radome and antenna equipment is severely limited. Also, the structures, while offering some basic ballistic protection were not designed to minimize penetration. Accordingly, there exists a need to address these and other deficiencies associated with conventional techniques.